Indiana lawmaker criticizes Pence for lack of effort in job creation

INDIANAPOLIS - Gov. Mike Pence's political influence will quickly wane if he doesn't start offering more specific policy proposals, the top Indiana House Democrat said Friday.

"I'm very worried that his honeymoon period is slipping away from him. We need the governor to provide leadership in addressing this immediate jobs problem," said House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City.

The new Republican governor laid out parts of his legislative agenda during his State of the State address in January.

He asked for a reduction in the state's individual income tax rate from 3.4 percent to 3.06 percent, the creation of new regional councils that would develop vocational education curricula, and an expansion of Indiana's two-year-old private school voucher program.

Other portions of his agenda, though, are less clear. State Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, was carrying a tort reform measure for Pence, but gave up on it Thursday after Pence repeatedly declined to directly answer questions about it.

"There's the sense in this building that he needs to provide more clarity about his expectations and where he wants Indiana to go," Pelath said. "There's a point where the broad visions have to be turned into legislative specifics."

He said he still doesn't know the specific items that make up the governor's legislative agenda.

"I can't point to a group of bills right now where I know this is the governor's bill and I know the majorities are working to bring it forward," Pelath said, calling that approach a clear departure from former Gov. Mitch Daniels.

He said the General Assembly ought to be doing more to create jobs – and singled out three bills that have yet to receive committee hearings.

Pence's spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.